A
census is an official count of the inhabitants of a country.Now
it can give us a snapshot of who lived at Hinchingbrooke at ten
year intervals.

Censuses
in the UK in the late 19th century were used to calculate taxation
and work out numbers of people in towns and cities; then the original
data sheets were destroyed.
However from April 1841 a census was taken for the whole of the
UK every ten years. The data was analysed to give numbers of people,
their ages and needs, then the original data was locked away from
the public for 100 years. This protects private information and
ensures people can give an honest answer to the census questions.
The public will not see the information you give until you are dead.

What
does the census tell us?

The
1841 census tells us the name of each person living in the house,
their age, occupation and whether they were born in that county.
It is an excellent example of original source data.

The
1851 census tells us all the above but adds "relationship
to householder", "condition" (meaning married, unmarried
or widowed) and "where born" by county and town or village.

This
pattern continues into the twentieth century when increasing numbers
of questions give a very detailed description of the people, their
relatives, religion, ethnic background etc.

1841 Census.
Huntingdon St Mary's

Hinchingbrooke

ref 107/455/4

Name

Age

Occupation

Born in county

Jane BUMCUMBE

25

Female servant

No

Mary WALTON

25

Female servant

No

Catherine SNERY

20

Female servant

Yes

Charlotte FRETWELL

25

Female servant

No

Mary CAIN

20

Female servant

No

William MUSK

25

Male servant

Yes

George MANN

25

Gardener

No

Evidently the Earl and his family were not in residence.We know that
John William, the
7th earl came of age in 1832.

1851 Census.
Huntingdon St Mary's

Hinchingbrooke

ref HO 107/1748/566

Name

Reln to H

Cond

Age

Occupation

Where Born

John Wm MONTAGUE

H

M

39

Lord Lieutenant of the County

London

Lady SANDWICH

Wf

M

38

-

London

Lady Adelaide PAGET

Re

U

30

-

Sts

Mad'le D'ACCERD

Go

-

22

Governess

ALWAD

Dr MELLOR

-

-

35

Tutor

Germany

HINCHINGBROOK

S

-

11

Scholar

London

Victor MONTAGUE

S

-

9

Scholar

London

Sidney MONTAGUE

S

-

8

Scholar

London

Oliver MONTAGUE

S

-

6

Scholar

HUN Huntingdon

Emily MONTAGUE

D

-

4

Scholar

London

Florence MONTAGUE

D

-

2

-

London

Charles BOLTON

Ser

M

41

Butler

HRT Ware

Peter FRADIO

Ser

U

45

Cook

France

William KNIGHTON

Ser

M

35

Under butler

HUN Huntingdon

William EMPLETON

Ser

U

26

Footman

HRT Brickland

Henry DIGHTON

Ser

U

18

Usher of the hall

HUN Huntingdon

James BYFIELD

Ser

U

14

Page

HUN Huntingdon

Ann HARVEY

Ser

U

28

Household Servant

SSX Horsham

Lucy LOVING

Ser

U

38

Household Servant

NTH Peterboro

Anne CORNISH

Ser

U

28

Household Servant

HUN Huntingdon

Jane CORNISH

Ser

U

16

Household Servant

HUN Huntingdon

Maria BAILEY

Ser

U

24

Household Servant

STS Long

Maria UNWIN

Ser

U

23

Household Servant

ESS GT BRANSTED

Mary BUBE

Ser

U

27

Household Servant

HAM Clum

Mary HUGHES

Ser

U

28

Household Servant

HUN Gt Gidding

Eliza SMITH

Ser

U

19

Household Servant

DBY DERBY

Martha HAMER

Ser

U

27

Household Servant

NFK ---

Jane GWINE

Ser

U

35

Household Servant

WLS Welchpool

Charlotte HONE

Ser

U

42

Household Servant

NFK ---

Charlotte WITERAGE

Ser

U

26

Household Servant

DOR Blandford

Susan HOWELL

Ser

U

17

Household Servant

HUN Diddington

Samuel SMITH

Ser

U

28

Stableman

HUN Huntingdon

James SMITH

Ser

U

25

Stableman

HUN Huntingdon

Thomas DAWSON

Ser

U

20

Head Gardener

SCT AYRESHIRE

William SIMMS

Ser

U

19

Gardener

BDF MUGERHANGER

Robert JERVIS

Ser

U

18

Gardener

HUN Huntingdon

What does
this census return tell us about the strict hierarchy of the Country
House in 1851?
 Look at the order in which the form has been filled in,
with important people at the top and less important people at
the bottom.
 Count the number of servants and the number of family members
 Why are there no married female servants?
 Why are so many servants needed?

States he is (or she is) returned at 5 Manchester
Square, London and declined to answer here

Evelyn PERRY

Vis

M

Martha WILLIAMSON

Vis

-

Henry COOPER

Sv

-

46

Domestic Servant, Butler

HUN Brampton

William HOPLEY

Sv

-

28

Domestic Servant, Valet

HEF Letten

William SYRETT

Sv

-

24

Domestic Servant, Footman

London St Pancras

William FREESTONE

Sv

-

21

Domestic Servant, Groom

NTH Peterboro

Towers ASHCROFT

Sv

-

19

Domestic Servant, Footman

HUN Brampton

Thomas HURST

Sv

-

30

Domestic Servant, Under butler

OXF Lt Milton

James BARRON

Vis

M

36

Domestic Servant, Valet

Elgin, Rothes

Thomas HUMPHREY

Sv

-

21

Domestic Servant, Groom

HUN Gt Stukeley

Edward BLOOMFIELD

Vis

-

17

Domestic Servant, Footman

London Chelsea

Lucien DROGENT

Vis

-

26

Domestic Servant, Valet

France Cannes

Elizabeth BLACK

Sv

-

38

Domestic Servant, Housekeeper

KEN Teynham

Sarah ROGERS

Sv

-

38

Domestic Servant, Cook

HAM Romsey

Phoebe GRIMWOOD

Sv

-

28

Domestic Servant, Laundrymaid

SFK Whepstead

Anne CLOUGH

Sv

-

43

Domestic Servant, Dairymaid

YKS Hornby Bedale

Emily HITCHCOCK

Sv

-

24

Domestic Servant, Stillroom Maid

OXF Middleton

Harriet BLACKMAN

Sv

-

19

Domestic Servant, Laundrymaid

WOR Middle

Mary BRAY

Sv

-

23

Domestic Servant, Housemaid

MDX Lambeth

Alice LANCASTER

Sv

-

21

Domestic Servant, Kitchenmaid

MDX Hounslow

Emily TYLER

Sv

-

23

Domestic Servant, Housemaid

HEF Bolston

Elizabeth SHEPHERD

Sv

-

21

Domestic Servant, Housemaid

LEI Conglestone

Lily CLARK

Sv

-

20

Domestic Servant, Scullery Maid

CAM Kingston

Jane NICHOLS

Vis

-

22

Domestic Servant, Ladys Maid

MDX Chiswick

Mary Ann BARNES

Vis

-

41

Domestic Servant, Ladys Maid

WIL Lynham

Matilda EVANS

Vis

-

36

Domestic Servant, Ladys Maid

PEM Haverford

Albert TAIT

Sv

-

29

Domestic Servant, Footman

SRY Brockham

 Census
returns have not always been filled in accurately by the people
living at an address. Why might this be?
 Why might Walter and Evelyn Perry and Martha Williamson
have not wanted to give further details?

 "Living
on own means" - what does this mean? How can they do it?
 Looking at the "where born" column, which areas
of London seem to be the richest, and which the poorest? Is that
still true today?

1901 Census.
Huntingdon St Mary's

Hinchingbrooke

Name

Reln to H

Cond

Age

Occupation

Where Born

Harry Hill

Servant

Un

20

Odd Man

Hunts Brampton

Henry Cooper

Head

Un

56

House Steward

Hunts Brampton

Charles Gordon Falcon

Visitor

Un

31

Captain Royal Engineers

Cheshire Knutsford

Albert Roselpries

Visitor

Un

31

Captain Brabants Colonial Division

South Africa Port Elizabeth

Elizabeth Howe

Servant

Un

40

Housekeeper

Dorset Piddleton

Harriet Jordan

Servant

Un

27

Laundry Maid

Staffords Elmhurst

Florence Putner

Servant

Un

19

Laundry Maid

Middlesex Lambeth

Charlotte Gilbert

Servant

Un

29

Stillroom Maid

Northants Burghley

Ann Clough

Servant

Un

53

Dairy Maid

Yorks Hornbey

Sarah Ann Taylor

Servant

Un

26

Kitchen Maid

Hants Ramsey St Mary's

Louisa Smith

Servant

Un

19

Scullery Maid

Rutlandshire Kelton

Elizabeth Wass

Servant

Un

27

House Maid

Notts Norwell

Lilly Hagram

Servant

Un

21

House Maid

Middlesex Bayswater

Mary Usher

Servant

Un

19

House Maid

Hunts Buckden

John Lissenden

Servant

Un

32

Under Butler

Kent Malling

George .. Gregor

Servant

Un

28

Footman

Scotland

George Andrews

Servant

Un

23

Footman

Somerset Shepton Mallet

Charles Ernest Dale

Servant

Un

26

Footman

Oxfordshire Addebury

Hinchingbrooke Stables

George Papworth

Head

M

37

Coachman

Hunts Alconbury

Mary Ann Papworth

Wife

M

37

-

Hunts Brampton

Edward George Papworth

Son

Un

9

-

Hunts Hinchingbrooke

Arthur George Ashcroft

Relation

Un

18

Groom

Hunts Brampton

William Sattman

Servant

Un

20

Groom

Hunts Grafham

George Henry Gale

Servant

Un

19

Groom

Hunts St Neots

Hinchingbrooke Farm

William Rowell

Head

Widower

43

Farm Bailiff

Hunts Abbott Ripton

Sydney William Rowell

Son

Un

9

-

Huntingdon

Frederick Stanley Rowell

Son

Un

8

-

Huntingdon

Florence Wakefield

Servant

Un

30

Housekeeper

Cambs Little Gransden

Hinchingbrooke Gardens

James Barston

Head

Un

32

Head Gardener

Aston on Trent

R Stevens

Head

Un

21

Second Gardener

Berkshire

James Rymill

-

Un

17

Third Gardener

Oxford Hawley

William Dawe

-

Un

21

Fourth Gardener

Dorsetshire

Thomas Hill

-

Un

18

Gardener

Hunts Brampton

The Hinchingbrooke Domestic staff photographed in 1906.
Can we put names from the 1901 census to the picture from 1906?
A similar picture taken in 1909 featured 35 staff and there are 32 female servants in the later picture below.
Notice how the social ranking of the servants is shown by the sitting
and standing positions.

The 1911 census for England and Wales was taken on the night of Sunday 2 April, 1911.
The count included all individual households, plus institutions such as prisons, workhouses, naval vessels and merchant vessels, and it also attempted to make an approximate count of the homeless.The naming of the homes seems to have changed betwen the 1901 and the 1911 censuses.

This photograph below was believed to have been taken between 1912 and 1916 when Laura Houghton (second row back, second from right) was a servant at Hinchingbrooke. Clearly this is a less formal photograph than the earlier one of 1906, perhaps reflecting the social status of the servants and also demonstrating the large numbers of staff involved in maintaining a house like Hinchingbrooke..

Does anyone know any more details? There are no known lists remaining of those who worked in the House. Laura Houghton would have been aged 15 to 21 when she worked there, in service until she married at the age of 21, starting in work at a level "lower than a housemaid". Linda Huckle, her granddaughter, recalls stories of Laura scrubbing floors until her hands bled.


How many servants appear on more than one census return? What does
this tell us about the turn-over of servants at an Edwardian country
house like Hinchingbrooke? Who stayed for many years and who moved
on?

• Note the varied birthplaces of the servants, indicating the extent of travel around the country in search of employment

• Note that there are 40 servants in 1911 tending to a single old man, his niece and his estate. A selfish life of privilege or a vital source of employment for the lower classes? Discuss!